Herstoryretold Vintage

Herstoryretold Vintage Sharing the best places to thrift and find vintage home decor. More about thrifting on Substack šŸ‘‡
šŸ“Chicago Color is our love language. Mid Century obsessed.

We help our customers express their style sustainably through vintage home decor with affordable prices at the crux of our business. Thrift finds, estate finds, DIY projects, home decor inspo.

06/17/2026

The new Savers location in Lakeview is located at 2928 N. Ashland Avenue.

While many shoppers assume all thrift stores operate as charities, Savers is actually a for-profit company that purchases donated goods from nonprofit partners and resells them in its stores, as well as accepts donations. I think itā€™s important to understand where your donations are going so you can choose the organization that best aligns with your values. If you do donate to Savers, youā€™ll receive a 20% off coupon for your next shopping trip. Regular shoppers can also join the Super Savers Club to earn rewards points on purchases that accumulate into future discounts. Chicago-area shoppers should also know that Unique Thrift stores are part of the same Savers family of stores. Of course, long-time neighborhood residents will recognize the building situated next to Jewel as the former Office Depot and Spirit Halloween Store. šŸ‘»

06/05/2026

Iā€™m typically not someone who starts things and then abandons them, but this project got me way over my head. Between ADHD and grief, this bathroom sat unfinished for more than three years.

Iā€™m so happy itā€™s finally done, and I think it turned out beautifully. Honestly, my favorite part was decorating it with all of my thrifted and vintage finds.

Originally, I planned to paint the vanity an earthy green, but mushroom tones are having a moment right now, so I decided to lean into the 2026 trend. One small silver lining of a delayed project, I suppose.

Iā€™d be lying if I said there wasnā€™t a little sadness mixed in with the excitement. I used to love calling my brother and asking his opinion on the random projects and ideas I was working on for my business. I still miss that.

But life happens, and I think most of us have a project, or ten, that took far longer than we expected. Or still sit unfinished.

One thing social media rarely talks about is cost. Even a bathroom refresh adds up quickly, and thatā€™s before labor. Iā€™d encourage anyone considering a renovation to budget carefully before diving in. The internet is great at showing the reveal but not so great at showing the receipts. I was at $1K with supplies and materials before any laborā€¦

Iā€™m also a firm believer in leaving things better for the next person. I was taught not to half-ass things either (thanks Dad.) Finishing this bathroom felt worth it for that reason alone, and I hope whoever buys my condo someday enjoys it as much as I have for this short period.

Vintage treasures not included. šŸ˜œ

05/18/2026

The ā€œEnd of an Eraā€ Midnight Madness Vintage Shopping Event
Nancy, the current manager, will retire, and many longtime vendors have decided to close their spaces on their own accord. This means HUGE sales throughout the mall as dealers clear out inventory. ***I will also be permanently closing my space. Iā€™ll be at the event from 6 PMā€“10 PM, making deals in my booth to clear out inventory, so come by and say hi!
Where: La Grange Park Antique Mall
800 E 31st Street
La Grange Park, ILā€ØWhen: Friday, May 22 only ā€ØTime: 11AM-until Midnight
*My booth will be open thru May 25th and will then be closed forever, so come see me!

Do not worry the mall is not closing, as new owners take over June 1. Any inquires about the mall should be directed towards them.

Cc:

05/15/2026

Please check the estatesale.net app for updates! This is not my sale I was just an attendee today.
5615 S Nordica Ave, Chicago, IL 60638
Free street parking.
9-2pm Saturday, May 16th is the LAST DAY
Watched list
Cash only!!!! No exceptions! Most items were $5 each. Nothing is priced. Donā€™t be rude. Itā€™s going to be crowded and tight in there today. Have patience. 99% of what I bought yesterday was $5 each. Have fun!!
This estate sale company is awesome and had a great time today.

I am closing my booth and not reopening it right now. My last day will be May 25th. I wanted to share a little insight ...
05/13/2026

I am closing my booth and not reopening it right now. My last day will be May 25th. I wanted to share a little insight as to why I am closing. I recently found out that The La Grange Park Antique Mall has sold and will be under new ownership starting June 1st. I have decided that this was a sign that it was time to move on, as it was something I had been thinking about for a while. With new ownership taking over at the La Grange Park Antique Mall, I realized I didnā€™t want to invest more time, energy, and money into a situation with so many unknowns and potential changes. After a lot of thought, I decided it was the right time for me to move on and focus my energy elsewhere. I have decided to stop selling vintage, at least for now. This decision wasnā€™t made lightly, as itā€™s something I had been thinking about for quite a while. There are a lot of variables involved, and when you factor in cost of goods, gas, cleaning supplies, repair costs, booth rent, commissions, booth work fees, and the sheer amount of time involved, it becomes very difficult to make an income that feels ā€œworth itā€ to me personally selling mid-priced vintage. The heart of my business has always been affordable finds for everyday people. But the reality is that selling mid-priced vintage has become increasingly difficult because the margins just arenā€™t there anymore. And when margins shrink, it usually just means more driving, more sourcing, more hours searching, and more pressure to constantly find inventory. Over time, all of that has really taken a toll on me and I really need some balance in my life right now and a career that will give me that balance.

So whatā€™s next? Iā€™ve decided to keep that private for now. Iā€™m still going to be on social media thrifting and Iā€™m still moving into my new house, so Iā€™m not going totally dark. Iā€™m just taking a break from selling at antique malls. Truthfully, I still have a lot of stuff to get rid of, so I may pop up at a market this summer and sell a few things on FBM. Iā€™m incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported my vintage business over the past 6 years. Weā€™ve had a lot of fun. (Continued in comments) šŸ’œ

05/13/2026

Gifted collaboration with āœØ The vintage oil lamp every Italian grandma seemed to have in the ā€˜70s has officially been re-created for the next generation of vintage lovers by and is now available on Amazon! You can now buy a brand new goddess mineral oil lamp thatā€™s clean, functional, and ready to display right out of the box. This set comes with everything shown in the video, including:ļæ½ā€¢ the base standļæ½ā€¢ a hanging chain if you prefer to suspend itļæ½ā€¢ the goddess centerpieceļæ½ā€¢ greeneryļæ½ā€¢ multiple flower options to customize the lookļæ½ā€¢ mineral oil

One thing to note: this lamp requires more than one bottle of mineral oil to fully fill, so Iā€™d recommend purchasing a second bottle either from or even Walgreens brand mineral oil, which also works great. LumiRuiss also makes several different versions of these lamps with different centerpieces and price points, so definitely check out their Amazon storefront to see all the options. šŸŒŸ Use code CMTM3YF7 to save 5% Link here or in bio to order: https://amzn.to/4u9fGTF

I personally own an original vintage mineral oil lamp from the ā€˜70s, and this version is honestly almost identical, except you donā€™t have to clean or restore it, worry about aging electrical components, or deal with broken pumps. Best of all, itā€™s incredibly quiet. It genuinely feels like a dream come true for those of us who have always loved these lamps, so huge thank you to LumiRuiss for bringing such an iconic vintage piece back to life for a new generation. šŸ’œ

05/07/2026

We are the best nature in the Midwest in retail parking lots. šŸŒˆ

04/29/2026

Italian alabaster bird baths are having a moment right now and yes people will absolutely elbow you for one at an estate sale šŸ˜…

Made in Italy in the 50s to 70s, these were either brought back as souvenirs or imported into local department stores. They were originally marketed as candy dishes or trinket catch-alls. Expect around $300 for a 7 inch and even more for the colored ones. The tiny one is worth around $100.

Where do you actually find them for a deal? Every one I have found has been off the beaten path at rural antique stores or through private buys. They do pop up at estate sales but be ready to move fast or shield an elbow from someone.

Up next casket jewelry boxes. I have gotten lucky and found quite a few thrifting. They are not rare but they are hot ticket items at the moment and a lot of people love them. I see them often at estate sales too. Def easier to find than the bird baths.

The French crystal cut jewelry box is new to me. I see crystal glasses, bowls, and vases all the time at the thrift, but a large box like this really stood out to me so I grabbed it. I got lucky and pulled it off the cart at Savers while they were restocking. Some are true antiques worth thousands, but most are midcentury replicas of antique styles worth around $100 to $300 depending on size and design.

Lastly the post modern tea kettle. Who knew there were designer tea kettles people are dropping real money on?! I found this one the same day as the crystal box at Savers. The shape caught my eye so I picked it up. And then went down the rabbit hole of designer tea kettles. My guess this one is worth around $100 if there are no quality issues. There werenā€™t any direct comps as they arenā€™t that common of a find. Mine has some wear so I will probably get less. I will keep you updated.

If you would like to buy any of the items (except the bird bath) check out my vintage booth No shipping.

04/21/2026

So hereā€™s how this happened šŸ‘€

A friend from college invited me to start working out at her gym, and introduced me to a friend of hers at the gym who buys properties around Chicago.

He told me that when he takes over these places, there are sometimes belongings left behind and he usually just throws everything out because he doesnā€™t know whatā€™s valuable and whatā€™s not.

My friend goes, ā€œWaitā€¦ you need Sarah.ā€ šŸ˜‚

So he invited me to walk through one of his latest properties and basically be a second set of eyes. My job was simple: make sure nothing valuable was about to get tossed. Think pieces like an Eames chair (btw he had no idea what an Eames chair even isšŸ˜†).

And this is exactly why knowledge matters in this space.

What looks like ā€œrandom stuffā€ or ā€œjunkā€ to most people can be $$$ if you know what youā€™re looking at.

He let me buy a few things (as shown in the video), and moving forward Iā€™ll be walking any properties that do have items left behind. Most are empty he told me, but when theyā€™re not, thatā€™s where I come in.

We also grabbed a box of silverware because we didnā€™t have time to test it. Iā€™m going to check if itā€™s real silver and if it is, I can turn it in for cash for him. Donā€™t worry the China and a bunch of other items will be getting donated. We both thought Millie had too nice of items to completely throw out.

Everything else from the video will be hitting my booth; so if you saw something you liked, go take a look.

But honestly, my favorite part was getting a glimpse into Millieā€™s life. She was clearly a badass bowler and loved bingo, which already tells me she was a fun one. Thatā€™s the whole essence of my business, ā€œHer Story Retold.ā€

Itā€™s never just stuffā€¦ itā€™s someoneā€™s life, their memories, their personality; just waiting to be discovered and used again.

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